Weekly Gallery: A restless city

Wed, October 21, 2020 / 12:37 pm

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Medical staff take swab samples from two women at the Genomik Solidarita Indonesia (GSI) laboratory in Jakarta on Oct. 3. The government has set the price ceiling for individually requested COVID-19 swab tests at Rp 900,000 (US$60.60) to eliminate price disparities following concerns over the high cost of tests at private laboratories. JP/Seto Wardhana
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Cemetery workers place a coffin into a grave in Pondok Ranggon public cemetery in East Jakarta on Oct. 5. That day, the cemetery officially started using the newly expanded burial area for COVID-19 patients. JP/P.J. Leo
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An activist of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) takes part in a protest in front of the State Palace in Central Jakarta on Oct. 5. Kontras and several organizations demand that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo annul the promotions of Brig. Gen. Dadang Hendrayudha and Brig. Gen. Yulius Selvanus as state officials in the Defense Ministry. The two are former members of Tim Mawar, who were convicted by the Military Court in 1999 for their involvemen...
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A doctor washes in a makeshift shower room during a decontamination simulation at Duri Pulo health community center in Central Jakarta on Oct. 6. The shower room is designed for medical workers who treat COVID-19 patients. JP/Wendra Ajistyatama
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Workers of PT Panarub Industry sports footwear factory dance during a protest held in front of the factory in Tangerang, Banten, on Oct. 7. The workers voiced their concerns over the newly passed Job Creation Law during the protest. JP/Dhoni Setiawan
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A police officer drags a protester during a rally that turned violent in Pejompongan, Central Jakarta, on Oct. 7. The rally was held to protest the newly passed Job Creation Law. JP/Dhoni Setiawan
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A fire rages at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle Transjakarta bus shelter on Jl. MH Thamrin, Central Jakarta, during a clash between protesters and the police on Oct. 8. Thousands of workers and students held a rally to reject the Job Creation Law. JP/Seto Wardhana
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An officer from the city’s Public Facility Maintenance Agency (PSSU) covers the upper part of a burned police station in the Tugu Tani area of Central Jakarta, on Oct. 9. Some public facilities were damaged as the result of clashes between the police and protesters during a rally against the Job Creation Law in Jakarta. JP/Dhoni Setiawan

It has been seven months since Indonesia recorded its first COVID-19 cases, and yet it seems the country is still grappling to contain the virus.

In the last few weeks, Indonesia has consistently recorded daily new cases of between 3,000 and 4,000. Medical workers are still toiling around the clock to treat COVID-19 patients. And now, workers at Pondok Ranggon public cemetery have started using a new plot of land as a burial area for COVID-19 patients, as the initial burial area is already full.

On top of dealing with the persisting pandemic, Jakarta is also facing a wave of rallies by workers and students against the Job Creation Law.

The newly passed law is not the only controversial subject of the week. Several civil society groups staged a protest on Oct. 5, criticizing the appointment of Brig. Gen. Dadang Hendrayudha and Brig. Gen. Yulius Selvanus to strategic posts within the Defense Ministry. The two generals were part of the infamous Tim Mawar of the Army’s Special Forces (Kopassus), which was implicated in the forced disappearances of activists in the late 1990s. (vla)